Side by Side
by Ciara1214
Summary: Lionblaze's heart has shattered. Cinderheart has rejected him. He thinks he'll never heal, or love, again. But all that changes when Icecloud confesses. He realizes that she was the one all along. They fall in love but someone will do whatever it takes to break them apart. This is going to be a short story.
1. Stars

**Hi guys! Ciara here! (Who else? xD ) I was just reading The Last Hope for the bizillionth time and I got an idea. If you didn't read the summary, SPOLIER ALERT: This will annoy CinderxLion fans xD I went for the LionXIce pairing because 1. Icecloud is awesome and 2. She doesn't get enough love. Anyways, ENJOY! **

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><p>Lionblaze POV<p>

Lionblaze padded through the forest. Squirrels leapt from tree to tree a little while overhead. Mouse scuttled away from his paws, but still an easy catch. Birds jumped from tree root to tree root, unaware of anything except their own sweet melodys. But Lionblaze didn't care.

The Great Battle had gone and passed. Cinderheart had told him she loved him before hand but just recently she had told him, to his face, that her feelings for him had gone.

Lionblaze hadn't beileved his ears when he heard her. _No_, he had thought, _shes just kidding, right?_ He had tried to put his tail around he shoulders but she'd shrugged it away.

"No Lionblaze," she'd mewed. "I just... don't feel like I did before. You never know, my feelings for you might come back." Her voice told him that was not going to happen.. at least not for a LOOONNNG time. "But for now we're just friends." Cinderheart added.

His heart had broken right then. Shattered into a million pieces.

"What did I do wrong?" He murmered, looking up at the dusk sky. There were no stars out, nothing moved, not even the orange clouds- no sign StarClan was listening.

He sighed and looked at his paws. "What did I do wrong?" He whispered to himself.

"Hey."

Lionblaze turned around to see the bright white pelt of Icecloud. _Oh mousedung_ he thought _she heard me_

"Are you alright?" She asked, not unkindly.

Lionblaze looked her in the eye. She met his stare unflinchingly. He finally looked away. "No." He murmered.

"Is it about Cinderheart?" Icecloud asked him

"Yes I-" Lionblaze stopped and looked at her. "How did you know?" His heart sunk. "Does the whole Clan know."

It was Icecloud's turn to look away.

He groaned. Couldn't he have a private life for once?! Without some cat (or badger) telling him what to do?! He'd thought, now that the prophecy had been fufilled, he might have some peace. Well apparently not!

"I'm sorry." Icecloud mewed, and the kindness in her voice suprised him. "Do you wanna go hunting with me to take your mind off it?"

"Won't the prey see you coming?" Lionblaze scoffed without thinking. He immediatly realized what he'd said and mewed quickly. "Oh i'm sorry Icecloud! I didn't mean it like that! Please don't feel offended!"

Icecloud licked his cheek which suprised him, and also seemed to make him feel calmer. "Don't worry you stupid furball." She purred. "I'm not offended. Its true of course. I just thought it might take your mind off things."

Lionblaze licked her cheek back and she looked up, suprised, yet happy. "I'm fine with that. But does a walk along the beach intrest you?"

The she-cat smiled up at him. "That works just fine."

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><p>Icecloud POV<p>

They walked side by side to the beach. The water gently lapped up agasint the shore.

Icecloud couldn't beilieve this was happening. She tried to slow her heart rate but that just made it go faster. She had always loved Lionblaze, she didn't care if he didn't love her back, and she always would love him.

They talked and joked about many things. They played tag, which Lionblaze excelled at, and eventually just flopped down onto the sand, watching the stars.

"Why did you ask me to be with you anyway?" Lionblaze asked eventually

"Can't a warrior spend some time with a Clanmate now?" Icecloud replied, trying to look and sound innocent. It didn't work.

Lionblaze turned his head to look at her. "Really," he mewed, "Why?"

She breathed in then exhaled sharply. "Lionblaze," she started, "You probably didn't know but ever since we were kits i've loved you."

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><p>Lionblaze POV<p>

Okay. Now Lionblaze had seen and heard alot of things.

He'd found out he was part of a prophecy that might destory all the Clans. He could handle that.

He'd found out he was Half-Clan, born to a ThunderClan medicine cat and a WindClan warrior. He could handle that okay.

He'd found out the Dark Forest could actually get into the real world. He could handle that alright.

But this. Icecloud saying that she loved him?! No. Way.

He stared at her, his eyes huge.

"Icecloud-" he started but he cut him off.

"No. Its okay." She interjected. "I knew you didn't love me back. I just wanted to tell you." She got up and got ready to run away.

"Icecloud." He mewed quietly. "I love you too."

And it was true. All that time fussing over Cinderheart had made him forget. He needed someone like Icecloud.

Icecloud stopped in her tracks and whipped round.

"What?" She mewed. "Did I just hear what I thought I did? I bet I didn't. I-"

Lionblaze padded up to her and brushed his muzzle agasint hers, cutting her off. "I love you Icecloud." He mewed in her ear. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. I will love you forever."

They both purred, feeling at peace. Lionblaze's heart, which he thought would never heal, had been put all back together- and when he looked up he saw the first, brightest star shining down on them.

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><p><strong>So how was that? It sucked, I know. I'll try to make the next chapter better. This is only supposed to be a short story so ya. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEWS MAKE ME FEEL BETTER AND MAKE ME WRITE FASTER! :D**


	2. Kits!

**HI GUYS! Ciara is back! xD Thank you to Eradrin and Starsinger for reviewing! I didn't think anyone would. Anyways, it is now time for the ****SECOND**** chapter! :D**

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><p>Lionblaze POV<p>

It had been four moons since Icecloud and him had walked along the beach and confessed they loved eachother. By now, everyone knew they were mates.

Cinderheart had been ignoring him ever since. Lionblaze didn't know why. She was the one who had broken it off between him and her, so why was she so angry?!

But, in all honesty, he didn't care. Icecloud was the one he loved, and would always love, know.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here underneath Highledge for a Clan meeting." Came Bramblestar's voice.

Lionblaze yawned, got out of his nest, stretched then padded outside to gather with everyone else. He sat next to Icecloud and licked her cheek.

He suddenly felt a burning glare scorch his pelt. He turned his head. It was Cinderheart. As soon as she saw him looking she whipped round to face Bramblestar.

Lionblaze sighed then did the same.

"Cats of ThunderClan." Bramblestar started. "You are gathered here for one of my favourite ceremonies. Seedkit and Lilykit are six moons old. They are ready to be apprentices. Seedkit, Lilykit... Come forwards."

The two sisters stepped forwards, trembling with exitment.

"Seedkit." He began. "Yo have reached the age of six moons, and it is time you were apprenticed. From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you shall be known as Seedpaw. Your mentor will be Bumblestripe."

He beckoned Bumblestripe up with a flick of his tail. Bumblestripe looked pretty bewildered.

"Bumblestripe, you are ready to take on an apprentice. Seedpaw will be your first but I trust you to pass on all you know to her."

The pale gray warrior nodded his head. "I promise i'll do all I can to make her the best warrior she can be." He vowed then touched noses with the newly named Seedpaw. The two stepped back.

"Lilykit, you to have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on until you recieve your warrior name you shall be known as Lilypaw." Bramblestar's eyes searched the cats gathered beneath him then mewed. "Your mentor shall be Poppyfrost."

Poppyfrost stepped up next to Lilypaw.

"Poppyfrost. You recived excellent training from Thornclaw," at this point he dipped his head to the old warrior who sat next to his sister Brightheart, "and you have shown yourself to be both skillful and brave. You will be the mentor of Lilypaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Poppyfrost dipped her head. Lilypaw and her touched noses and the whole Clan cheered: "Lilypaw! Seedpaw! Lilypaw! Seedpaw!"

Lionblaze licked Icecloud's cheek. "You'd be a great mentor." Icecloud purred and they brushed muzzles.

Once again, Lionblaze felt the scorching glare. He didn't need to turn to see who it was. He let out a barely audible sigh.

Cinderheart and him could still be friends! Why was she so angry?!

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><p>Icecloud POV<p>

Icecloud walked through the forest, Leafpool at her side. "So why did you bring me out here?" She finally asked the Medicine Cat.

Leafpool gave Icecloud "the look" . "You know why." She mewed.

Truly, Icecloud had no idea. "What?"

Leafpool stopped walking so she did too. "Icecloud," she told her. "You're expecting kits."

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><p>Lionblaze POV<p>

Lionblaze was peacefully relaxing a patch of sunlight when Icecloud padded into camp and over to him.

"Hi." He said, rolling over onto his stomach so he could see her face.

Icecloud looked happy, excited yet scared.

"What?" He asked worriedly. "What is it?"

Icecloud purred. "Leafpool just told me something."

Lionblaze cocked his head. "What?"

Icecloud purred even louder. "Lionblaze, i'm expecting your kits. Leafpool says they'll be here in about a moon."

Lionblaze leapt up. "REALLY?!"

His mate rolled her eyes. "Do you think i'd lie to you."

Lionblaze smirked. "Maybe."

Icecloud chuckled and licked his cheek "Sure."

He couldn't beileve this was happening. Him, a father? He couldn't wait!

Jayfeather padded up to them. "I'm guessing you heard." He mewed.

"Yea." Lionblaze replied.

Leafpool followed behind him "Purdy will be happy." She mewed

Jayfeather snorted as Lionblaze asked "Why?"

"Because he'll be able to tell them a million stories thats why." He told his brother.

"Oh," Lionblaze mewed. "Right."

Icecloud laughed.

Lionblaze felt happier then he had ever felt in his whole life. He had the best mate in the world. She was expecting his kits. He was going to be a father and he would have his own family!

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><p>Icecloud POV<p>

A moon later she was settled in the nersury, three hungry kits at her belly.

"Two toms and a she-cat." Leafpool told her.

"They're perfect." She whispered.

"Lionblaze!" Jayfeather called out to his brother. "Your kits are here?"

"REALLY?!" Came a voice from outside.

Leafpool rolled her eyes. "Yes!"

Lionblaze came bursting in. He spotted Icecloud and their kits and his eyes went as big as the moon.

Icecloud beckoned him over with her tail. "Come meet your kits Lionblaze."

He happily obliged.

Their oldest was a beautiful snow white she-kit.

"She looks like you." Lionblaze remarked. "Just as beautiful and just as perfect."

Icecloud licked his ear then looked back down at their daughter. "What should her name be?" She whispered.

"She could be called Flowerkit because she looks so fragile but it just doesn't seem to fit." Lionblaze remarked.

Icecloud nodded then mewed. "Could we call her Duckkit? Her fur is as soft as a duck feathers."

"We can call her whatever you like." Lionblaze purred. "And Duckkit sounds perfect."

Her brother wriggled closer to his mother and started suckling with his siblings. He was the middle kit. A handsome brown-and-white tom.

Lionblaze licked the top of his sons head. "He could be called Patchkit because he has brown patches." He said and Icecloud nodded. "Patchkit it is."

Their last kit was a smoky gray, nearly black.

"That one is going to be small," Leafpool mewed, "Small but no short of spirit. You are lucky to have him."

"He looks like a crow." Icecloud mewed without thinking. "Could we call him Crowkit." She immediatly knew she'd said the wrong thing.

She was surronded by Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Leafpool and she'd thought of calling him _Crowkit_!

"I'm sorry," she mewed. "He can be called something else."

"No its okay," Lionblaze mewed. "His name will be Crowkit."

Icecloud was relieved to see Jayfeather and Leafpool didn't seem to mind either.

"Duckkit, Patchkit and Crowkit." She whispered. "Welcome. Welome to ThunderClan my precious children."

Right at that moment she thought nothing could go wrong.

But she didn't see Cinderheart watching outside the nersury, simmering with rage, her eyes narrowed to slits.

Something was going to go wrong.

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><p><strong>Okay, that sucked bad. I hope you enjoyed it all the same though :) Please, please, <span><em>please<em>review. Reviews make me write faster X****D**

**XxxCiaraXxX**

**BTW. About the name Duckkit... DJM- don't judge me- first thing that came to mind xD**


	3. Mystery

**Hi guys! Ciara is back! xD This is going to be a short chapter but I hope you enjoy it all the same :D**

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><p>Mystery Cat POV<p>

The rain poured hard over the cats head. This was the place, he was sure of it. He had travelled many miles but it would be worth it in the end. He had a score to settle and he was going to settle it once and for all.

The cat stood on a small hill overlooking a run down barn. He began to pad down to it. He stood at the entrance and looked up. The barn had almost no roof, the rafters were still there though and so were the stacks of hay. You could see mice darting in and out of the hay stacks. They prey here would be plentiful.

He was about to call out when a voice from the shadows said- "Who goes there?" It was a dark voice, a voice that made you think of blood, death and desctruction.

"Just a loner." The cat replied. "A loner who thinks he might have something to intrest you."

There was silence for a moment and then... "Alright. Come in."

The cat padded fearlessly into the barn, extremely glad to get out of the rain. He sat down byone of the hay bales and waited.

A rugged, white tom lept silently down from the top of the hay stack and padded up to him. He had a clawed nose, scars all over his body and a torn ear. His eyes were blue. A deep stormy blue. "What is it that may intrest us?" He asked.

"A forest lies just beyond that twolegplace." The cat explained, pointing with his tail to the town in the distance. "I daresay you have heard of it."

The rugged white tom wrinkled his nose. "So?"

"There are a great number of cats who live there." The cat told him and the tom nodded. "They have recently fought a battle which has greatly wounded them." He went on.

"So you are saying... you want us to attack them and take their land."

"Yes.. I will lead you there if you-"

"No." The tom growled and his eyes flashed. "Stranger... do you know who I am?!"

The cat opened his mouth to speak then closed it again and shook his head.

"I am Barren." The cat snarled. "Descendant of Bone, captin of BloodClan! Long ago, we fought the cats who now live in the forest you talk about- the other Clans. They defeated us because of some stupid moggy named Firestar. We wanted revenge. We wanted to slay them all. So when they left the forest.. we followed. Not wanting to be seen we stayed here. And here we are to this day."

The stranger looked Barren in the eye and said. "I bring great news to you then."

Barren narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Firestar." The cat told him. "Hes dead."

Barren's dark blue eyes glowed. "Good. We will attack them in two sunrises."

"There are alot of them." The stranger warned. "How many of there are you?"

The white tom raised his head in the air and howled something very alike to a wolves. The mysterious cat tried not to shudder at the sound.

Then, all around Barren, cats began to appear, some started coming over the hill, others came from the other direction.

Theres so many of them, the mysterious cat thought, as much as all four Clans! To Barren he said, "This is the amount of cats we need."

Barren growled in agreement. "Stranger, Meet the descendants of BloodClan."

The cat turned away and let a sly smile creep up onto his face. _I have found what I need. Let vengance begin._


	4. Happiness

**Hi guys, Ciara here! How are you guys? Good I hope. This will be another short chapter like he last one! I hope you enjoy it all the same though :-)**

**BTW. The last Chapter, Chapter 3, was set two moons after Chapter 2**

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><p>Cinderheart POV<p>

The forest was alive with the sharp ring of bird calls and rustling of leaves, but Cinderheart stayed silent. Anquish was what she felt. Deep deep anquish.

Lionblaze had forgotten her. He had just chosen Icecloud then forgotten about her.

And nothing anyone said would cheer her up.

Poppyfrost, her sister, had tried- as had her father Brackenfur... But it hadn't worked.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize a mouse that scurried into her paws.

"Hey!" It was Toadstep. "Catch it!"

Cinderheart was so shocked by his sudden appearance that she froze and the mouse ran out her paws and into a mousehole by a nearby birch.

Toadstep chuckled and sat down by her. "That was interesting."

She scowled and whacked him in the face with her tail.

The black and white tom looked at her with his piercing amber eyes. "Why are you so annoyed?"

Cinderheart growled and turned away from him. "None of your business."

"Thats not a very nice thing to say to your Clanmate."

"Do you think I care?"

"You used to."

That made Cinderheart jolt upright and swirl round. "What did you say?"

Toadstep didn't flinch. "I said; you used to."

Hurt stabbed her body like a million claws. She tried to let out a snarl but the snarl didn't come. She wanted to yowl at him to go away but the words didn't leave her mouth.

Instead she whispered to herself. "The reason it hurts so much is because it's true."

Toadstep blinked. "The whole of ThunderClan knows what you really are like inside. You've been acting weird for the last few moons but we all know that wasn't really you."

"Thank you Toadstep."

"It's alright."

There was silence for a moment in which Cinderheart and Toadstep looked at each other right in the eye then Toadstep mewed.

"Do you wanna come and hunt with me. We might make up for that mouse I lost."

"You didn't lose it." Cinderheart mewed. "I did."

Toadstep shook his head then carried on "Anyways, I think we should hunt near the WindClan border but you can choose."

"Nah, the WindClan borders good. We might catch a stray rabbit."

The tom laughed. "Yeah! Maybe!"

Cinderheart smiled aNd joked. "I bet I get there before you do!"

"I bet you don't!"

"Is that a challenge?"

Toadstep grinned. "You're on."

"Ready.." Cinderheart smiled.

"Steady.."

"GO!" They both yowled together.

And as they raced through the trees to get to the WindClan border, Cinderheart felt something she hadn't felt for moons...

Happiness.


End file.
